MONTGOMERY – For anyone who’s followed the softball rivalry Spring Garden and Sand Rock have had this season, it should have come as no surprise their fifth meeting in Friday’s Class 2A East Central Regional championship would be decided by a run.

And in extra innings.

Lady Panther junior pitcher Abbey Steward delivered a double over the head of Sand Rock center fielder Jadyn Foster in the bottom of the eighth inning. The hit scored her younger sister Avery Steward, who walked with one out, for the only run of the game in Spring Garden’s fifth victory this season over the Lady Wildcats.

More importantly, it clinched a spot in the Class 1A state tournament next Wednesday at Choccolocco Park in Oxford.

“It’s always dramatic when we play them. They’re a great team, but so are we,” Abbey Steward said. “We knew we had to battle with them. We knew they weren’t going to give it to us. It’s the regional championship. We knew they were out to battle and so were we.”

Both Stewards thought Foster made a leaping grab in center, but when they saw head coach Ann Welsh frantically yelling and motioning for them to round the bases, they knew they were in business.

“I just knew I had to go before she got it in and touch every base,” Avery Steward said.

“Avery getting on first, she’s a battler when she’s up there (at the plate). She’s always fouling balls off,” Welsh said. “She makes the pitcher work. I have seen her round the bases before with a deep ball hit like that, and Abbey was due.”

Abbey Steward led the Lady Panthers at the plate by going 2-for-4. She also earned the win in the circle after pitching all eight innings. She surrendered just three hits and two walks with five strikeouts.

EllaGrace Hood suffered the tough-luck loss for the Lady Wildcats. She almost matched Abbey Steward pitch for pitch, working 7 2/3 inning and giving up one earned run on six hits with two walks and five strikeouts.

“We had not faced her this year except for a couple of innings the last time we played them,” Welsh said. “I thought she did a great job and kept us on our toes, especially the top part of our lineup. We popped up a lot and didn’t get many hits. She did a good job controlling the game.”

Sand Rock coach Josh Bates said he couldn’t have asked for more from Hood.

“I don’t have the words to describe how proud I am of her,” Bates said. “She stepped in and pitched a great ball game. She gave us a shot to win. We just didn’t string hits together when we had a chance there in the seventh to get a run.”

As Bates said, the Lady Wildcats had a golden opportunity to take the lead in the top of the eighth. Sherina Foster doubled to left to lead off the inning, but Abbey Steward settled down and retired the next three Lady Wildcat hitters on pop outs.

That set the stage for the Stewards drama in the bottom half of the inning.

Avery Steward finished 1-for-3 at the plate with a walk and a run. Ace Austin and Kylie-Grace Wood were both 1-for-3. Kayley Kirk went 1-for-4. Neely Welsh walked.

Hood was also 1-for-3 at the plate for the Lady Wildcats. Katelyn St. Clair went 1-for-4. Jadyn Foster walked twice.

“Spring Garden’s a great ball team. They’re solid and they don’t make mistakes,” Bates said. “We knew it would likely come down to us and them. We gave ourselves a shot and played hard. I’m just proud of our kids and their fight and the way they competed today.”

Sand Rock quickly rebounded from their tough loss to Spring Garden. They scored seven runs in the second inning to set the tone in their 9-4 victory over Locust Fork to secure the second qualifier bid from the East Central Regional.

“You never know how your team is going to respond, but we bounced back,” Bates said. “We had a big second inning which paid off huge. We put the ball in play and got some runs there to kind of set the tone.”

And, perhaps, set the stage for a potential sixth meeting with Spring Garden.

CLASS 4A EAST CENTRAL REGIONAL

Cleburne County 4, Cherokee County 3

MONTGOMERY – The Cherokee County Lady Warriors took an early three-run lead behind a two-run homer from Anna Walker in the top of the fourth inning, and a solo shot from Abby Lea in the fifth, but Cleburne County rallied for four runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a 4-3 victory in Class 4A East Central Softball Regional action Friday.

Walker led the Lady Warriors at the plate by going 2-for-3. Lea, Alana Loyd and Grayson Tucker each had a hit.

Loyd suffered the tough-luck loss after working six innings. She gave up four earned runs on nine hits with two walks and eight strikeouts.

Cherokee County 15, Good Hope 0 (3 innings)

MONTGOMERY – Cherokee County scored five runs in each of the three innings of its 15-0 blowout of Good Hope. The win secured an elimination game Saturday morning with area rival White Plains at 9 a.m.

Karlee Perry was perfect at the plate for the Lady Warriors, going 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles, two runs and a RBI. Grayson Tucker went 2-for-3 with a double, three runs and three RBIs. Raechel Russell and Carson Coley were both 2-for-3 with two RBIs.

Abby Lea tripled, walked and scored twice. Anna Walker contributed a hit, a run and four RBIs. McKinley Rouss collected a hit, two walks and two runs. Alana

Loyd added a hit, a walk, two runs and a RBI. Lanie Williams finished with a hit, a walk and a RBI.

Lea earned the win in the circle after working two innings of one-hit ball. She walked one and struck out four. Tucker tossed an inning with a strikeout.

CLASS 3A EAST CENTRAL REGIONAL

Piedmont blanks Geraldine, blasts Reeltown

MONTGOMERY – The Piedmont Lady Bulldogs are one win away from next week’s state softball tournament after a pair of wins Friday in the Class 3A East Central Regional. They blanked Geraldine 8-0 behind a three-hitter from pitcher Savannah Smith and blasted Reeltown 17-2.

The Lady Bulldogs face Beulah Saturday morning at 9 a.m. in the regional championship bracket.